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Jack Mallory

Glen--if you think there's been no change for the better since the beginning of human political development, we've got to get you some better history books. Whether one concocts some kind of mean, median, or modal measure for human well-being, ranked in terms of health, longevity, freedom, or other "quality of life" issues, we are far better off today than our predecessors.

Not sure why you use 5,000 years--are you thinking of "civiized" life? Life since the beginnings of state-type socio-poltical organization? You wouldn't want to have been Joe Average in any of the early states--in China, India, the Middle East, Central/South America--or anybody else except, maybe, one of the few ruling elite. You really didn't want to be a lower class Mexica (Aztec). Or, probably, an upper class Mexica. Sure as hell didn't want to get captured in battle! Human sacrifice, disease, crop failure, war, autocratic rulers, lack of any form of the personal freedoms we take for granted--not what I would look back fondly upon!

Nora Skinker (Morton)

Saw Natalie Portman's wonderful performance as JACKIE tonight. She should have won the Oscar for best actress, IMHO. 

Would someone explain why MOONLIGHT won best movie? Was it the importance of having a "broke back mountain for Blacks" be the winner? How it could have beaten HIDDEN FIGURES is hard to understand. Talk to me, movie buffs! 

Jack, make sure you keep up those Hitler metaphors! Most likely Liberal voices, with help from a biased media (MSNBC?), will get him thrown out. Then you'll have a REAL right-winger to whine about. Win/win for me. Lose/lose for you. 👍😜

Jack Mallory

Not a Hitler (nor Mussolini, Lenin, Mao, Castro) metaphor. Not a metaphor for dictators of any flavor. A metaphor for those citizens so eager for safety and stability that they're willing to accept whatever "shenanigans" manifest a tilt toward totalitarianism.

That's where totalitarianism comes from. The dictator doesn't come to your door, announce that he's running for tyrant. He or she comes to your door, warns you of the great dangers they can defend against, the great benefits they can bring. All they need is your support, or at the very least, acquiescence. 

They remind you of the glorious past, destroyed by weak leaders, they promise to make your country great again. Don't worry about the lies, attacks on the judiciary and free press, the detention of certain categories of trouble makers, loss of certain freedoms, and other shenanigans. 

But all that's based on what we might learn from history. Many historians, like many scientists, journalists, and other educated people, are liberals, and we must ignore what they say. As did Italians, Russians, Germans, Chinese, and Cubans . . .

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Stephen--here's where we're headed, today. Not a tough hike, but like Dr. Johnson's dog, the wonder is not that I do it well but that I do it at all:

Stephen Hatchett

Jack: Woke up with enough anxiety about  "where we're heading today" that I saw in your photo a huge predator's maw with the water as tongue and the icicles as fangs. Not sure if coffee will help that, but I'm gonna have that first cup anyway. We're headed to Yosemite today for a few days  x-country skiing and hiking -- lots more icicles on tap 

Nora, I honestly would consider Mike Pence as President, at this point,  to be a win-win for you and myself.  He and I would disagree about many things, but I'm pretty sure he has a moral compass, though it might point Northeast relative to mine.

Nora Skinker (Morton)

Oh, so now Mr. Trump is not Hitlerian? So, when politicians (other than Trump) make promises, we DO believe them? You're quite a head-scratching enigma to me, Jack. 🤔

Stephen, you may want to review Pence's stances. He's even Right of me! Enjoy the skiing, my friend! 

Jack Mallory

Not reading what I'm saying, Nora. Didn't say Trump isn't Hitlerian. Said his supporters are like the supporters of many totalitarians. 

Nora Skinker (Morton)

Still head scratching. But move on, kind sir. 

Glen Hirose

Jack,

I did not mean to imply that there was little improvement in the human political evolution; I actually feel it is worsening, and 5,000 Years is a good starting point because the blossoming Military Powers were demonstrating their political prowess at the tip of a Metal sword.  First copper, then Bronze, iron and finally steel.  I hardly believe that the first iron age political leader (King if you will) felt that once he had slaughtered just one foe with his high-tech iron swords it would all end there.

Maybe I fail to see all the wonderful things that politicians and their agendas have brought to us, maybe it’s those nagging persistent wars, or the development of fantastic new WMDs.  Could it be the never ending lying, cheating, stealing, and sell-outs?  It is certainly not the Politicians who are to blame; it’s the people who put them in charge. 

So I close by posing this scenario: Two other characters 5 thousand years hence will be debating the same issues around the same concerns as we have today, and like the Mesopotamians,  Egyptians, and  Minoans did some 5 millennium BU (before Us)… That is of course if Gaia doesn’t get fed up with our species.  

MLK Jr., Gandhi, and Hypatia; just a few do-gooders that were trying to undo political injustice, and paid with their lives to better the human condition.

Jack Mallory

Glen--you know I'm not enthusiastic about the current state of political affairs, but consider life in Mexico, or any one of the early states where the god-king could call on your services at any time. Except, it would be the your last time. 

I was going to post an image of a human sacrifice from a Mexica Codex, but it was too gross even for me! Instead, here is the stone "tzompantli," or skull rack, on top of which the actual heads of the sacrificed were displayed, as described by Bernal Diaz and others. Recently excavated in the Plaza Mayor in Mexico City. 

Even I have to say, compared to life in the early states, life under the Trumpublicans don't look half bad!

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Stephen--Hope  you get weather at Yosemite as nice as ours in the White Mountains, today:

And the stream we hiked along:

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I had made up a term for the form of argument which attempts to justify malfeasance by one individual or group, not by defending their behavior but by attacking a different individual or group. I was going to call it a "Yabbut" defense, in the sense of, "Yeah, but so-and-so did it first!" This is a common rhetorical ploy of many politicians, their supporters--and children as well, of course. 

Lo and behold, this very week NPR had an article  on what they call "Whataboutism." The same phenomenon, exactly: "Party A accuses Party B of doing something bad. Party B responds by changing the subject and pointing out one of Party A's faults — "Yeah? Well what about that bad thing you did?" (Hence the name.)

http://www.npr.org/2017/03/17/520435073/trump-embraces-one-of-russias-favorite-propaganda-tactics-whataboutism?utm_source=npr_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=20170319&utm_campaign=bestofnpr&utm_term=nprnews

It seems to have been the basis of much of Soviet propaganda--whenever there was criticism of the USSR from the United States, the response would frequently be, "But you lynch Negroes in the United States!" So common that it became a joke tag-line in Russia; there's even a Wikipedia page on the topic, "And you are lynching Negroes."

At any rate, Trumpublicans didn't make the technique up. But it's just as weak a defense when they use it as when it's used in the elementary school yard.

Nora Skinker (Morton)

I'd like to clarify my references to the lies originating from the Left (notice I included lies from Christie & Nixon) as examples of what we have been subjected to for too long. They were certainly not cited to somehow justify lies from the Right. There is no justification for Trump's or anybody else's lies. Along the same lines, there is no justification for failures to apologize in these cases either. Many posts ago, I mentioned how the baseball player, Andy Pettite, "righted his ship" by immediately admitting & aplogiziing profusely about his brief use of steroids. An adoring fan base forgave him & even admired his rather amazing forthrightedness. On the other hand, the great pitcher, Roger Clements lost my (& many others') respect by insulting intelligences & sticking to his ridiculous lie that he "misremembered" using steroids. Politicians should take notes. But, as a people, we would do well to not sluff off dishonesty by just chalking it up to "politics as usual." I, too, have been guilty of that. Candidly, I never dreamed dishonesty could rise to its present level! It's no wonder such a small percentage of the population votes or is politically interested or savvy. 

Jack, your gripping photo is reminiscent of my tour of the Catacombs in Budapest several years ago. Piles of skeletons, most a result of Bubonic Plague, many small children included, made for a day which has & will forever haunt me. 

On a more welcome note: another two thumbs up for the new, WONDERFUL production of BEAUTY & THE BEAST!! Take the fam! 

Jack Mallory

A frank and clear reassessment from Nora. If S-c could only bring himself to such an honest apology. Does this mean I will never win another bottle of Single Malt again?

The amazing thing about the skull rack sculpture, and all New World stone sculpture, is that it's done with stone tools. That piece, although pretty dramatic in its subject matter, isn't very artistically impressive. Here's a much more aesthetically appealing, and finely worked, example from my Maya, at Palenque (almost all early state art was government--tax payer--funded. They didn't have F-35s to waste their money on).

Glen Hirose

Jack,

What a beautiful example of Maya sculpture, and I can’t help but notice the delicate pose of the hand. How very similar to the hand of the Buddha… 

Is the glyph in the upper right hand corner of your photo the King’s name? Was he a King?

I have thought about the F-35 statement you made, and of course it would be absurd.  They hadn’t invented the wheel yet…landing it would be problematic.  The F-35B would be another issue entirely.

Jack Mallory

I can't read the glyphs, Glen, but just from their position, I suspect that's what they are. "Radiant Turtle Macaw Lake" seems to be his name, according to those who can. But folks called him Fred. Grandson of a big-time king, Pakaw the Great, Fred was around from 678-736 CE, ruled 721-736. 

Here's another sculpture of him:

Real sculptural portraiture--you can see that it's the same guy. 

And of course, tax payers had to support the sculptors! And the military, even without F35s. 

But tax payers didn't have much of a voice, in those early states! I think you give too little credit to the Enlightenment, in your view of history vs. the modern world!

And a little warning to the Trumpublicans from PBS: Don't Fuck With Big Bird!

Stephen Hatchett

Jack, quick questions about the first scupture of Fred you showed:  Are the "discs" making up the bracelet and shoulder covering (armor?) added/glued/cemented to the base stone sculpture? Some seem to be missing.  What pigments, particularly blue, were used?

Wheels? I thought the Maya actually had produced some apparent toys with wheels but had otherwise never used them (& neither had any other pre-Columbian Americans.) Is that right?  

If I remember my Anthro 101 course, early Spanish missionaries found and burned the Mayan libraries.  (Religious intolerance:  Shades of the Taliban, ISIL, or Hypatia and the University and Library at Alexandria).  

Glen Hirose

Stephen,

One of the first things a conquering power does is head for the libraries of the vanquished; then they set them ablaze and proceed to rewrite history.  Sadly precious little information is preserved, and only the bravest individuals will risk their lives to do so.  Thankfully, those brave few managed to save the formula for Beer making, and it has survived for some 5,000 years.   

Jerry Morgan

Tough day for the Trump team.  Can we all agree that he is a liar now and more?

Jack Mallory

Stucco on top of stone, Stephen, colored with "Maya Blue," made of indigo and other stuff. Not sure about Maya wheeled toys. I think there are some Toltec (Valley of Mexico, 1100-1300 CE, if I remember dates) wheeled toys. Presumption is that w/out draft animals, wheel utility is very limited. 

The codices burned were way later than Classic Maya--mostly contemporaneous with the Aztec. The Maya warfare scene is a wall mural at the site of Bonampak. 

Glen--the hand gestures are very similar, but almost undoubtedly testify to the limited ways you can shape your hand rather than any connection between the Maya and Buddhism. 

******************

Just to remind us of the value of the National Endowments for the Humanities and Arts (and the need to call your Congressionals if you agree that they should be funded in the Trump budget): 

This evening's "Iliad for Veterans" class, a continuation of the New Hampshire Humanities From Troy to Baghdad program, ranged across the years from the Trojan Wars to Shakespeare's Henry V to World War I poetry to students' combat experiences in Vietnam. 

From an entirely selfish perspective, this is tax money well spent; for that matter, simply as a tax payer, I think this is tax money well spent. If we're going to spend gazillions to send our people to war, we can spend a pittance to help them process their experiences. Call your goddam Congressionals, tell them to fight to preserve money for the arts and humanities  

Glen Hirose

Jerry,

When in April will you be in DC? It would be fun to hook-up and talk of old times.

Jack,

Yes, there are only so many ways for the hands and fingers to be positioned, but I was referring to the delicate subtle way they were both rendered; unlike the photo of Kim Jong-Un flashing the NY Cabbie’s universal sign of discontent, and the Manchester United F.C. fan at the Arsenal Stadium.

How are the Ducks doing?

Nora Skinker (Morton)

Much like NASA continued to exist through privatization, so can many projects & programs the public deems too valuable to lose. Through the years, when I directed spring musicals in public high schools & handed NO budget with which to work, those who cared (parents, students, teachers, county officials) found amazing & imaginative fundraising avenues. Not ONE year was missed due to lack of money. It was a source of personal pride & empowerment for all involved & I can think of nothing healthier for our country than individuals, communities & local governments coming together to save projects & programs important to them. It spreads the wealth better than anything I can think of. (Incidentally, as an active Meals On Wheels volunteer, I was poised & ready to draw from savings to save my chapter in Lewes DE, when I discovered (through Snopes) that Meals On Wheels is actually NOT a Trump cut). Bottom line: Painful as it is, our bloated federal budget MUST be cut & reapportioned. Where, in this forum's point of view, WOULD be satisfactory places to cut Federal spending? 

Jerry, I think we all agreed awhile back, that truth has eluded politicians for too many years &, unfortunately, Trump is no exception. Glen, hold back with the dead horse photo! 

Glen Hirose

OK, no dead horses, not today at least...

Welcome to the Site Catherine; it’s a wonderful place to spend time solving problems that have plagued humanity for the past 5,000 years. You are witnessing it here in real time; aren't you excited?

Jack,

Late as usual, but still wanted to say:

Jack Mallory

Glen--the recent freezing/thawing cycles seem to have forced the ducks to relocate, at least temporarily. No Mallards or Wood ducks seen in several days. Today, the Merganser couple returned:

Both of them still stylin' the hair. I should have so much hair to style.

Thanks for forwarding So-called's birthday greetings!

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Ways to cut the federal budget? I'll go for the truly low-hanging fruit:

1. Dump the F-35 program, over 20 years in development, aircraft still not ready to deploy, estimates are that by 2070 it will have cost $1.5 TRILLION--the most expensive weapons system in US history. 

The CIC described the F-35 program, before assuming office, as:

Now that he's CIC, however, plans continue for the purchase of nearly 2500 F-35s from Lockheed-Martin. 

2. Dump the war in Afghanistan. The longest war in US history, cost pegged at another $1 TRILLION to date, no victory or even definition of what a victory might be in sight.

Obvious ways to cut the budget big time are like being poked in the eye with a sharp stick--hard not to notice. Problem is, they also cut profits to Lockheed, uncountable other military/industrial firms. Who then donate to candidates on both sides of the aisle, hire retiring military and poltical functionaries, etc.

President Eisenhower, any comments?

Nora Skinker (Morton)

Am doubtful bakesale profits kept NASA moving forward but I appreciate your eye-roll for my lowly offering, Jack. As for Military spending, getting back to that "big stick" is important to many, obviously not you. Agree about Afghanistan, however: I still wonder why Obama chose to 'stir it up' again, anyway! Perhaps it had to do with Isis: when it's so weakened, the vacuum left there may not be filled by that group, anyway. I have no prob with MarLago. Presidents earn whatever lifestyle they choose in my view. Trips all over the world with legions of entourage or keeping the WH dark a la Jimmy Carter, it's peanuts. Must admit, it was rather nice to hear that our new leader would not take a salary, however. 

Enjoying the Gorsuch confirmation hearing today. From what I see & hear, the Dems would be nuts to die on this hill. No matter what Pelosi is hyperventilating about, my prediction is: no filibuster. 

Jack Mallory

Gotterdammerung? Or just a Tuesday evening?

Joan Ruggles (Young)

During the election when Comey said that he was looking into Hillary Clinton and her emails, remember the OUTRAGE from Republicans that it was totally unacceptable that were she elected, we might have a sitting president who was under the scrutiny of the FBI. It turned out there was nothing in the emails, but her campaign was permanently damaged. Now we have a sitting president - not Hillary Clinton - who IS under investigation by the FBI for possible criminal even treasonous activity and I hear only crickets from Republican quarters.  I have no idea what the FBI will turn up, but the Republican outrage regarding Clinton was not about guilt. It was about the constitutional crisis that would ensue if this would happen to a sitting president. DT is always talking about unfairness. Let’s be fair here. 

Oh and regarding the Meals on Wheels program, you should read a little more carefully Nora. It ain’t so simple. The funding for the program which is part of Meals on Wheels is funded in part by the Older Americans Act which in turn is partially funded by the Community Development Block Grant  and funding for all of them would be cut. Like it or not, some of that funding to Meals on Wheels would be cut. I know you can’t provide us with your source, but I can http://www.snopes.com/trump-meals-on-wheels/  FYI that's YOUR source. 

Nora Skinker (Morton)

Both of your stated points are not "liked",  Joan. But I can tolerate the latter a bit better than the former. Programs come & go - many survive anyway through supply & demand. But today's gotcha politics played by both parties promotes an ongoing apathy which (I believe) threatens our whole system.